Frequently Asked Questions

You Ask — We Answer

At ROOTZ 2 CROWN DENTAL CARE, we’re committed to providing our patients all the information they need. For that reason, we’ve compiled this list of commonly asked questions. If you have an inquiry, we recommend checking here first. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, reach out and we’d be happy to help.

What is your new patient procedure ?

We’ve picked out for five tips to take with you upon your first visit to your new dentist:

Make You Feel Welcome
Viewing Your Medical History
Perform A Dental Examination
Set Up A Treatment Plan
Schedule Your Next Appointment

Your first dental visit is all about settling you into a new dental clinic and surroundings. If it’s identified that your teeth are not in the right condition, the dentist will support you with recommended dental treatments to improve your oral health and restore your smile. If your examination passes without any major concern, the appointment will only take a small amount of time.

Tips To Care For Your New Filling ?

To get the best out of your new filling, follow the below tips to provide it with optimum care.

Watch What And How You Eat.
Brush And Floss Carefully.
Consult Your Dentist.
Think Long Term.

If you’ve recently had a dental filling, it can be difficult to get used to it, and, initially, your filling can become dislodged easily if you neglect it. It is best to avoid crunchy and chewy foods around the filling for up to two weeks. If you experience some sensitivity, you will benefit from avoiding hot and cold foods, but this shouldn’t be an issue when the filling settles. To get the best out of your filling, follow these steps to minimize the risk of further treatment.

Root Canal Vs Tooth Extraction – What’s The Difference ?

It is very important that you understand the difference between the two dentistry treatment choices. A root canal will be administered if the dentist identifies that a tooth has not been severely damaged or decayed and can identify remains of the tooth that is healthy. Also, the dentist will examine the bone density and gum support around the tooth. Where it is safe to save the health remains of a tooth, a root canal is the best choice.

Tooth extraction works exactly the opposite. The dentist will identify if the tooth is severely decayed beyond repair and the surrounding gum and bone density is weak. In this instance, tooth extraction treatment will be the best choice. Under local anaesthesia, the dentist will numb any pain you’re experiencing. Then, the dentist will widen the tooth socket and use forceps to gently rock the tooth from side to side until it’s removed from its socket. The pain may feel severe once the anaesthesia wears off. The dentist will provide a gauze pad to bite down on to limit any bleeding once the tooth is removed.

Cavities can develop at any stage of your life. This usually depends on how strong your oral routine is. Even so, there may be times where your oral routine, including regular check-ups to the dentist, may not save you from cavities. Cavities may occur from a dental accident or even poor dental habits where you use your teeth to bite down on hard surfaces. Depending on how severe your cavity is, you may be able to resolve it at home.

Throbbing Toothache

Throbbing pain inside the mouth can be short and sharp or severe. The dental pain may be concentrated elsewhere from the cavity, but it is a negative sign if the throbbing pain continues for a long period. Do not ignore this as ‘just a toothache’ because there may an underlying concern that needs dental treatment.

Tooth Sensitivity

Sensitive pain inside the mouth is different from toothache. Sensitivity can occur inside the mouth from anywhere, not just from a certain tooth. Again, sensitivity, particularly when eating your favourite foods within hot and cold temperatures, is a sign of an underlying problem.

Damage To An Older Filling

Quite simply, if you’ve had a dental filling fitted previously to cover a hole within a tooth root, you want to avoid the filling from becoming loose again. A loose filling is a sign that you’ve eaten something hard to dislodge it, or your oral routine isn’t strong enough. As soon as this happens, you must get it replaced with a new filling at the dentist.

Fractured Teeth

Beyond cavities, fractured teeth can also be repaired through a composite filling material. If you’ve experienced a minor fracture, your tooth may only require dental filling treatment. A fractured may occur on the front teeth and the dentist can bond the tooth with composite resin to fill out the missing shape.

Bad Breath

Bad breath can occur where food debris become dislodged within a filling. This is likely to be because the filling has become dislodged, causing food debris to get stuck. From this, a bad odour can develop, although bad breath may also occur in other areas of your mouth, it is a sign that the filling needs replacing as well.

Is Your Filling Lost Or Dislodged ?

A dental filling requires patients to carry out specific care tips to preserve it, but has your dental filling recently fallen out or dislodged?

First of all, it is important not to panic! It is common for a dental filling to dislodge itself and it is not something that’s immediately serious.

If you’ve suddenly bit down on something, or you feel a sudden shift inside of the affected tooth, it is likely that the dental filling has dislodged. A dislodged filling will become serious if you neglect it and avoid taking the necessary steps to preserve your oral health and reduce any chances of infection.

If you’re in this position, you need to take the following steps:

Keep The Affected Area Clean

The first thing you must-do if you feel that your filling has dislodged is to keep the affected area clean. This means gently brushing around the affected tooth gently and slowly. This will help remove any food debris and significantly reduce any immediate dangers of bacteria build-up. If you’re in severe pain, continue to brush around the affected area gently. Also, consider gargling with lukewarm water and avoid chewing down on food near the affected area.

Call The Dentist

Calling the dentist is another important step. A dislodged filling could be painful or you may feel no pain at all. Regardless, a dislodged filling can cause infection and tooth decay if not seen to by the dentist. In the event of a dentist not being immediately available, ensure the affected area is clean until an appointment becomes available.

Treat Any Discomfort

If the dislodged filling is painful, consider purchasing over-the-counter medication such as aspirin to provide temporary relief and comfort. A dislodged filling can be painful if the nerve is exposed. Therefore, temporarily numb the area until your appointment. Where there is no pain, this doesn’t mean the dislodged filling should be neglected.

Can The Filling Be Saved?

A dislodged filling should be retained because the dentist can determine whether to reuse the same filling again. Unlike a lost tooth, a dislodged filling does not need to be stored within milk or in warm temperatures to preserve it. Simply wash the filling and keep it safe.

Following these steps before your appointment will help reduce any panic. It is unlikely that you’ll suffer from any immediate infection providing the affected area is kept clean at all times. This may also involve temporarily halting your favourite foods and drinking more lukewarm water. If the pain becomes more severe and these steps do not work, contact the dentist in an emergency.

Three Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Child’s Fear Of The Dentist

Sometimes, no matter what you do, children become a little fearful of the dentist. It may happen because they hear something from friends or family. It can happen if they’re at the dentist and another child is having a problem. It can also happen naturally because dental cleaning can be an uncomfortable process, especially if there are a few issues.

You can help reduce your child’s fear of the dentist with a few basic steps.

1. Prepare Them

Prepare your child for the appointment. Some children really need to know what to expect from various outings. When they know what to expect, they can prepare themselves mentally and physically for the experience. You can tell your child is one of these people if they often misbehave when something happens spontaneously.

For example, watch your child when you go to the supermarket. If you prepare them for the outing and tell them exactly what to expect, what you expect of them, and why you’re going, they may behave differently than if you spontaneously run to the store.

Become aware of your child’s personality and needs. If they need to know what to expect, then be sure to prepare them for their appointment well in advance.

For example, if they have an appointment on Friday, you might tell them on Wednesday that they have a dentist appointment coming up and you might give a brief rundown or reminder of what is going to happen.

On Friday you’ll tell them again and you might spend a few more minutes going over what to expect. Ask them about what they remember from the last appointment.

2. Reward/Distract Them

You can also take the attention away from the dental appointment by focusing on an activity after the visit, and we'll talk more about that later. For example, you might schedule a playdate for after the dental appointment or a trip to the zoo.

This way your child is able to focus on the fun rather than the fear. The activity can be a reward for a good trip to the dentist, or it can simply be a distraction.

Decide which works best for your child and your situation. Keep in mind that if your child is fearful of the dentist, a reward may not be the best approach because it might add more stress and pressure than your child can handle.

3. Schedule It When They’re Not Going to Be Tired

Finally, try to schedule the appointment when your child is generally at their best. For example, if your child is not a morning person then a seven o’clock appointment isn’t a great idea.

If they take naps at noon then you might schedule their appointment for after their nap. We’re generally better able to manage our fears when we’re not tired and can think more clearly and rationally.

Sometimes children are simply fearful of the dentist. Try to talk to your child about their fears.

Help them learn what to expect and give them something positive to focus on. Next, we’ll talk about how to prepare your child for their first dental appointment.